Chapters 5,6,11,12. Took the most important questions
What does a porphyritic texture mean in terms of cooling history?
The magma cooled slowly at first, and then the cooling sped up.
Igneous rocks are identified by their composition and texture characteristics. What does texture refer to?
crystal size
What process explains why a molten magma often is a mix of molten rock and crystals?
partial melting
Which rock shown in the figure cooled the fastest?
A) fine-grained B) porphorytic C) glassy D) coarse-grained
glassy
Which explains the relationship between cooling magma and mineral formation?
Bowen's reaction
What has a mafic composition and a coarse-grained texture? A) diorite B) basalt C) gabbro D) obsidian
gabbro
Igneous rocks form from _______.
crystallization of magma
Which observation about a rock could lead you to identify it as igneous?
glassy texture
What is the source of heat inside Earth that melts rocks into magma?
the decay of radioactive elements
What process explains why a molten magma often is a mix of molten rock and crystals?
partial melting
During fractional crystallization mineral crystals
form and become separated from the magma
igneous rock forms…
when magma is trapped deep inside the Earth.
Which type of metamorphism occurs at high temperatures and medium to low pressures?
contact
What type of weathering occurs when minerals get dissolved?
chemical
How are clastic rocks classified?
particle size
What are the two types of weathering?
physical and chemical
What do different grades of metamorphic rocks reflect?
relative amount pressure and temperature
What is the most likely way for the rock layer at the bottom of the sequence shown below to be exposed to sunlight?
weathering and erosion
What processes aid in the formation of sediments
weathering and erosion
Wind and water can push sediment into distinct layers and shapes. What is formed by moving river water?
asymmetrical ripple marks
Which of the following is an example of an evaporite? A) breccia B) coal C) rock salt D) shale
rock salt
Why is porosity in sandstone important?
Water and oil can travel through it with ease.
Metamorphic rocks with aligned minerals have a ____ texture
foliated
Most sedimentary rocks are formed by _____.
compaction and cementation
Rocks are classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic based primarily on their ____.
process of formation
__________ is the transfer of energy through space by electromagnetic waves.
Conduction
__________ is the transfer of energy that fuels atmospheric processes, while __________ is used to measure and interpret that energy.
Heat, temperature
Atmospheric pressure __________ with __________ altitude
decreases, increasing
Clouds are classified by __________.
the altitude of the cloud formation and its shape
Dust and sea salt are examples of __________ that aid in the formation of cloud droplets.
condensation nuclei
How are clouds formed?
Warm moist air is forced to rise over a mountain. B) Warm air is forced into a convection current. C) Two air masses of different temperatures meet. D) All of these answers are correct.*
In what layer are light gases, such as helium and hydrogen, found?
exosphere
10. The ratio of water vapor in a volume of air, relative to how much water vapor that volume of air is capable of holding, is called __________.
relative humidity
Which occurs during a temperature inversion?
A layer of warmer air is laid on top of a cool layer of air.
What percent of incoming radiation from the Sun is absorbed by Earth's surface?
50
What type of gas found in Earth's atmosphere absorbs UV radiation from the Sun?
ozone
Why is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere important?
It helps regulate the amount of energy the atmosphere absorbs.
Why does the temperature of air decrease as elevation increases in the troposphere?
Air is cooler when it is farther from the heat source.
The burning of fossil fuels has the greatest and most direct impact on the ______ cycle.
carbon
__________ is used to measure the speed of raindrops toward or away from a specific point.
Doppler radar
A __________ is a narrow region that separates two air masses of different densities.
front
A forecast that involves comparing current weather patterns to past weather patterns is called __________.
an analog forecast
A forecast that relies on numerical data is called __________
digital forecast
High-pressure systems usually are associated with __________ and low-pressure systems are associated with __________.
fair weather, clouds and precipitation
At _______, warm air displaces cold air and it develops a gradual frontal slope
a warm front
Long-term variations in weather for a particular area make up the __________ of an area.
climate
The exchange of heat or moisture between an air mass and the underlying surface is called __________.
air mass modification
What are four- to seven-day forecasts based on?
circulation patterns of the troposphere
What causes the Coriolis effect?
Earths rotation
What is a large body of air that takes on the characteristics of the area over which it forms?
an air mass
What is the network of weather stations located across the United States called?
ASOS
What type of instrument is used to measure wind speed?
an anemometer
Thunderstorms develop from cummulus clouds that grow into huge ___ clouds.
cumulonimbus
Thunderstorms form when three conditions exist that cause cumulus clouds to grow by the energy method of
convection
First, there must be sufficient (3)____
in the lower atmosphere to condense and release latent
heat. Second, some mechanism must make the air rise, causing the cloud to grow.
moisture
Third, the portion of the atmosphere that the cloud grows through must be (4)____
unstable
The rising cloud must stay (5) ___
than the air around it in order for the growth to continue.
warmer
The cloud’s growth stops when the rate of (6)
___in the cloud, which diminishes with height, is insufficient to create enough heat to keep the cloud warmer than the air around it.
condensation
Growth will also stop if the rising air meets a layer of
(7)___air that it cannot overcome.
stable
Forms when an air mass rises as a result of
orographic lifting
Mountain thunderstroms
Forms because of temperature differences between
the air over land and the air over water
Seabreeze thunderstorms
. Forms as cold air pushes warm air up at a boundary
between cold and warm air masses
Frontal thunderstroms
the stages in the development of a thunderstorm in the order in which they occur. step 1
Warm, moist air rises quickly, and the moisture condenses into a visible cloud. Then updrafts form.
Equal amounts of updrafts and downdrafts form convection cells.
Step 4
Step 3
Falling precipitation cools the air around it, forming downdrafts.
Precipitation begins to fall.
Step 2
Step 6
The updrafts cease and precipitation stops.
The updrafts slow as downdrafts decrease the supply of warm, moist surface air.
Step 5
Large pools of extremely cold air develop strong high-pressure systems over polar continental areas. Jet streams move systems.
cold waves
Large, warm, high-pressure system develops, remains over an area, and blocks cooler air masses from entering the area.
heat waves
Sinking air from a strong high-pressure system stops air from rising and condensation from occurring over a long period of time.
drought
A thunderstorm unleashes heavy precipitation.
flood
Extended period of below-normal temperatures
cold wave
Extended period of above-normal temperatures
heat wave
Extended period of well-below-normal rainfall
drought
Thunderstorm remains over an area for many hours
flood
What is a tornado?
A column of warm, humid air begins to rise very quickly.